Thermostats may be simple control devices for heating, ventilating and cooling (HVAC) systems and operate as discrete and independent devices in relation to other devices in a property, such as, for example, a home, a business, a school, and/or the like. Additionally, thermostats may not be remotely controllable nor integrated into mobile communication device applications. Currently, with the advent of wireless technologies, mobile communication devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets, etc.) and mobile device applications, thermostats can be remotely controlled and programmed via mobile device applications. The thermostats, however, have remained relatively the same with respect to how a user interacts with it in the property. For example, thermostats may have displays or indicators of the current temperature and the set target temperature, buttons for the user to press, etc. Most thermostats, however, are visually unappealing and typically protrude from the wall on which they are mounted in an inconvenient manner (e.g., a significant protrusion).
Also, thermostats are connected to a group of wires that run from the location of the thermostat to the HVAC equipment. The HVAC systems provide a low-voltage current via the wires, but many do not include a common or ground wire. As such, thermostats use a variety of methods to obtain necessary power to operate. For instance, thermostats may include batteries or scavenge power from the low-voltage lines.
Thermostats also measure room temperature from sensing elements included within the thermostat itself. Such thermostats may be located in hallways within homes or offices, most often very close to the air handler of a central HVAC system. This is where the volume of air returns to the HVAC system to be cooled (or heated) and reaches its warmest temperature when cooling or coldest temperature while heating. This temperature may not be indicative of the temperature of the room(s) where occupants spend their time, such as, for example, in living rooms, family rooms, kitchens, and bedrooms, conference rooms, personal office rooms, and/or the like. Furthermore, various conditions lead to different rooms having temperature characteristics that are very different from other rooms in the same building. This is typically due to the direction of the sun, number of windows, insulation differences, and the position of room doors (open or closed). Currently, some thermostats adjust temperature settings based on whether or not an occupant is at an establishment (e.g., a home, an office, etc.) by attempting to detect motion in the home. However, occupants may not normally walk by a motion sensor included in the thermostat and the desired result may not be achieved.